Local planning authorities (LPAs) and developers will no longer have to wait for 21 days for advice from Natural England on wildlife species covered by European law.
This improvement follows a wide-ranging review by the wildlife advisor on how standing advice can be used more widely to help reduce red-tape for LPAs.
This initiative involved a series of pilots in the summer with Cornwall County Council and some sixty authorities across the South-East.
By having access to standing advice on European Protected Species (EPS) on its website, LPAs and developers should need to consult Natural England less often.
This new approach on EPS will mirror the arrangements for species protected by domestic legislation, where Natural England has been referring LPAs and developers to standing advice for the past two years.
The species covered by the new approach are bats, dormice, freshwater fish, great crested newts, higher and lower plants, invertebrates, natterjack toads, otters and two reptile species (sand lizards and smooth snakes).
Natural England will continue to provide bespoke advice in situations not covered by the standing advice or where a proposal is likely to result in significant harm.
It will also continue to provide bespoke responses to applications which may affect a Site of Special Scientific Interest, Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area or Important Wetland Area covered by the Ramsar Convention.
Natural England’s approach to nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs) and to environmental impact assessment (EIA) consultations will remain unaffected by the changes.
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